Episode 1613: Give You as a Light

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Scott Maderer: [00:00:00] Thanks for joining me on episode 1,613 of the Inspired Stewardship Podcast.

Lena Skullard: I'm Lena Skullard. I challenge you to invest in yourself, invest in others, develop your influence and impact the world by using your time, your talents, your treasures, to live out your calling. Having the ability to recognize how everything is a choice is key.

And one way to be inspired to do this is to listen to this. The Inspired Stewardship podcast with my friend Scott Maderer.

Scott Maderer: We're called to be part of a project that is bigger than us and bigger than we can see or imagine. It's about bringing the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. [00:01:00] Peace and justice equality. For all. Welcome and thank you for joining us on the Inspired Stewardship Podcast. If you truly desire to become the person who God wants you to be, then you must learn to use your time, your talent, and your treasures for your true calling in the Inspired Stewardship Podcast who will learn to invest in yourself.

Invest in others and develop your influence so that you can impact the world.

In today's spiritual foundation episode, I talk about Isaiah chapter 49 verses one through. I talk about how this passage has several ways to recognize the servant in the message. I also share how we are called even though we aren't feeling equipped. Isaiah chapter [00:02:00] 49, verses one through seven says, listen to me, Oak Coast lands.

Pay attention you peoples from far away. The Lord called me before I was born while I was in my mother's womb. He named me. He made my mouth like a sharp sword in the shadows of his hand. He hid me. He made me a polished arrow in his quiver. He hid me away and he said to me, you are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

But I said, I have labored in vain. I've spent my strength for nothing and vanity yet. Surely my cause is with the Lord and my reward with my God. And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him and that Israel might be gathered to him For I'm honored in the sight of the Lord and my God has become my strength.

He says, it is too light a thing that you should be my servants to write, raise up tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel. I will give you as a [00:03:00] light to the nations that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth. Thus says the Lord, the redeemer of Israel and his holy one to one deeply despised award by the nations, the slave of rulers.

King shall see and stand up princes and they shall prostrate themselves because of the Lord who is faithful, the holy one of Israel, who is chosen you. You know, when you get this passage, kinda like last week, it talks about servants and who exactly is the servant in this Isaiah? Text. Is it Jacob who is later renamed Israel as a person, or is it Isaiah the prophet who's speaking, or is it the nation of Israel?

God's people called to live as the sign of God's glory at work in the world. When you read through it, are there indicators or markers or things in the passage that make you conclude one [00:04:00] thing or another, and does it even matter? Well, of course it matters because wrestling with the text is always fruitful when we do so.

When we invite others to do so, we're beginning to try to train our minds to look and think like God and to hear the messages that God had at the time and still has for God's people. When we wrestle with it, we ought to come around at some point that to the idea that there is something in here that God is saying that is for us and about us.

We are the ones called into service. We are the ones who are to be proclaiming and carrying the light out into the worlds. We are the servant. And I don't know about you, but whenever I hear that, I immediately begin to doubt. I don't feel equipped. I don't feel ready. I don't feel like the polished arrow or a mouth like a sword or [00:05:00] any of these things.

So surely this text is talking about someone else and Yeah, actually it is, but it's also not. The nice thing about the Bible and yet also the challenging thing about the Bible is that most passages have multiple levels that they function on at once. There is a historical example in this passage and understanding that history and that context and the culture can be helpful and let us, as readers hearers understand it better.

But there's also a, a faith reference here. There's also a way that we are being referenced in these words, and we are being called to be the instruments of God's glory. Maybe next time you read it or listen to it, instead of hearing servant hear your name being called. And what you'll discover is that this is a [00:06:00] calling, a high calling and a blessing.

It's a calling. To be a light to the world, not to a single people. This isn't a national promise. This isn't about America being chosen or Israel being chosen or any other country of the world. Instead, it's about all people from our coastlands are borders all the way to people far away. We do not have exclusive rights.

To this call to service, we are to be reaching to the ends of the earth. It says, and this isn't about aggressive conquering kinds of mindsets. This is about being a light to the world chosen as individuals and as community to take up this [00:07:00] task. And let's face it, we're not ready. We're not equipped for it.

We're not able to do it. I don't know about you, but I fail more often than I succeed. I focus on myself more than I focus on others. I'm quiet when I should speak up, and I kind of run my mouth when maybe I should be quiet. I'm not worthy of the call. At least that's how I feel most of the time if I look at it honestly.

And I think I'm not alone in feeling that. In verse four, it starts. I have labored in vain. I've spent my strength for nothing and vanity. I can't do it. The servant seems to be saying, just like I was talking about, I tried and it wasn't working or it didn't work. I didn't see the results I got in the way of my own efforts.

I'm not worthy of the call, but notice verse four doesn't end with that. Just like our doubts and our hesitation and [00:08:00] our worry is not the end of the story. It goes on and says, yet surely my cause is with the Lord and my reward with my God. The end of the sentence, I am not worthy. Seems to be, but I'm called anyway.

I recognize this task is beyond me, but I'm called anyway. I recognize that this vision is bigger than I am, but I'm called anyway. The light and the message is beyond me, but I am called to be a carrier of this. No matter what the results are, I am meant to carry it forward. I'm never even gonna see the results in all likelihood.

There's a basilica in Barcelona, Spain that is now in 2026, supposedly going to be finally completed. [00:09:00] It's a masterpiece of architect. It was started in 1882, and the architect who designed it was asked, you'll never live to see this structure finished. And he says, yeah, the patron of this project is not in a hurry.

We're called to be part of a project that is bigger than us and bigger than we can see or imagine. It's about bringing the kingdom on earth as it is, and heaven, peace and justice, equality for all. Thanks for listening.

Thanks so much for listening to the Inspired Stewardship Podcast. As a subscriber and listener, we challenge you to not just sit back and passively listen, [00:10:00] but act on what you've heard and find a way to live your calling. If you enjoyed this episode, do me a favor. Go over to facebook.com/inspired stewardship and like our Facebook page and market that you'd like to get notifications from us so that we can connect with you on Facebook and make sure that we're serving you to the best of our abilities with time and tips there.

Until next time, invest your time. Your talent and your treasures. Develop your influence and impact the world.